Study abroad for a once in a lifetime experience

Bonjour! Hola! Kon-nichiwa! Guten Tag! Nei Ho! There are many ways to say hello and so many countries you could be visiting right now.

CSUSB invites you to study abroad. Globalize your educational experience and build your professional network to place you on the path of success.

Manny Ollawa had nothing but positive things to say about his experience studying abroad. “I always wanted to study abroad to visit a culture I wasn’t used to. I wasn’t afraid to go by myself because it gave me a sense of independence,” he said.

Each person has their own reasons for studying abroad and Stacey Roberts formulated a plan to have fun this past summer. “Summer school in San Bernardino in July or summer school in Florence, Italy for an entire month? That was easy! I was doing it. Why not? I decided to treat myself to summer school in Europe. It’s a once in a lifetime experience,” said Roberts.

Everyone probably knows someone who has studied abroad or is currently doing so. But what most people don’t know is how to begin the process.

Students interested in studying abroad can start by visiting the Center for International Studies and Programs (CISP) located in the College of Education, room 356. There with guidance from the friendly staff, I learned of many nations offering abroad programs that include Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries.

CISP also has a website to further advance your curiosity in studying abroad. Search “CISP CSUSB” to connect to the site. The focus of the website is to assist students to find the nation that would best fit their academic and personal goals. Stop by the CISP office where you can find Ollawa working as a volunteer.

There are so many reasons why you should be interested in studying abroad. Students who study abroad learn about other cultures and gain perspective on their own culture. You can build your resume and globally expand your career opportunities.

If presented with the opportunity to study abroad again, Ollawa would definitely do it.

“I gained an endless amount of positivity as far as networking, a different style of life and culture and new lifelong friends and faculty whom I’m still in contact with,” said Ollawa.

Studying abroad is a phenomenal experience where you can learn about yourself while earning academic credit. Get an insight on international business culture and etiquette. Learn appreciation of international art, music and dance.

Want to know more? Your professors that are teaching you right now might be more interesting than you think.

Many professors at CSUSB are apart of the Professors Across Borders program in which its members are active around the globe.

Professors extensively travel to develop international programs for their students among many other things. Please look for professors by name or department to find out about their international accomplishments and the languages they speak.

Studying abroad is an adventure in it’s self. Maria Aguilar said studying abroad was the best experience of her life thus far.

“Studying abroad teaches you more than what a textbook ever will. One day, you can look back and say, ‘I did that,’ and feel great satisfaction. Aside from learning in class, I gained so much worldly experience. From adapting to new cultural ways, to learning the basics of another language, exploring Italy without a car was an adventure,” said Aguilar.

Get out there and explore the world CSUSB! “Come here, go anywhere”, literally.